Misha Ketchell writes:

“I firmly believe that it’s consumers who will be the most significant winners out of this package,” Communications Minister Helen Coonan said yesterday.

Really? That’s not what the influential commentators and players believe:

The Financial Review: Media reform is relative in Australia, where fear of offending media barons paralyses governments and leads to poor policies that short change consumers.

John Hartigan, News Ltd CEO, on ABC’s radio in Sydney: It was not about consumer protection, it is about industry protection.

Media buyer Harold Mitchell, The Financial Review: The government’s intended changes appear to give the existing players some protection, at least into the foreseeable future. This is a good thing…

Foxtel CEO Kim Williams: It’s just more of the same old protectionism for the free-to-air networks who have done nothing for digital rollout in Australia and can’t be relied upon for the future.